The phrase ‘service model’ is something I’ve found myself using more and more in recent years. I’ve seen it used elsewhere in different contexts as well.

So what are service models? Here’s my definition:

Service models are a way for

How to use service patterns is something that I know a number of different organisations are starting to think about. This is a conversation that I’ve seen prompted by the LocalGov Patterns library that we’ve been working on at FutureGov…

With more organisations working with service-oriented approaches to delivery in the public sector, this is increasingly leading to questions about models for service ownership in how we design, develop, maintain and improve whole services.…

Just over a year ago, I wrote about comparing service design to business analysis. This was to highlight differences in skill sets, with an emphasis on how service design can bring a new set of approaches and focus to …

The importance of frameworks is that you focus on a smaller set of things because you can’t focus on everything.

I spend a lot of my time designing, or constructing frameworks as a way of helping others access a way …

Ambiguity is a key part of design. It points us to the uncomfortable gap between ‘what is’ and ‘what could be’ which is where I believe design adds most value.

As I described in my blog post ‘Seniority in …

The purpose of defining something is to create a shared understanding of words, ideas, and processes with a wider group of people.

If you’re going to talk about ideas and ways of working such as ‘digital’, ‘agile’, or ‘service design’, …

A lot of digital agencies and technology companies talk about ‘digital service design’.

What I think they mean by this is that they’re designing experiences and digital interactions that happen on a screen.

Service design will never be effective if …

I don’t like talking about ‘redesign’.

The challenge is to design services all the time. Not to redesign them.

A redesign is a project mentality. Something with a start and end date. The opposite of this is making design part …

Written by Ben Holliday. Based on work developed with Kirsty Sinclair and feedback from the FutureGov design team.

There’s a question of why designers make so many maps. We love maps. But there can be confusion or misunderstandings about why …

The biggest factor in a point of crisis is the quality of information available or how informed an individual is.

Information is power. It can enable you to act independently and to get help. …

What we can learn from the military about ‘mapping backwards’ and how this applies to service design

In my previous blog post I wrote about the differences between service design and business analysis…

As service design has become a more prominent role and way of working for organisations I’ve seen some confusion between ‘service design’ and ‘business analyst’ (BA) roles.

Service design and business analyst roles have some similar skill sets, but they …

Why prototypes can be more valuable than specifications or documentation

A good rule of thumb for designers:

If you need to get into a finite level of detail, make something.

Artefacts are most useful when they become the design, rather …

Thinking about design as a series of conversations

Thoughts following this tweet, yesterday.

There is an often overlooked secret to making progress:

The quality of your conversations is as important as your process.

Process is an easier proposition to …

As a designer, I very rarely say ‘it depends’.

I would rather have an opinion, then be right or wrong.

‘It depends’ suggests there’s too much context surrounding what you’re thinking about. It’s better to frame something more carefully so …